Neill’s Flour rises to growth challenge by securing new warehouse
LOCAL company Neill’s Flour is expanding its operations to include a large 16,000 sq ft unit at the Titanic Quarter’s Channel Commercial Park.
The firm, which has been part of the Primark parent company Associated British Foods ABF since the 1960s, celebrated its 150th year at College Place North last year.
Two other businesses occupied premises at Titanic Quarter recently. Noblett’s of North Street, a family-run painting and decorating business, occupied a 7,500 sq ft premises as part of an expansion of its city centre operations.
Actavo, an international engineering solutions company, occupied an additional 4,900 sq ft premises.
The move by Neill’s Flour comes as the demand for its products increases because of a rise in the popularity of home baking.
Last year the business said it was planning new products including home-baking kits for gluten-free Madeira-style cakes, sponge cakes and other products.
The company is now looking ahead and the new warehouse is just one of several major plans for the future.
The unit, which will allow the business to store finished flour products, has a portal frame warehouse and on-site car parking.
ABF Grain Products Limited trades as Neill’s Flour and is a well-known producer of flours and mixes for baking.
Karl McCrum, sales and marketing manager at Neill’s Flour, ABF Grain Products Limited, said: “When we started looking for extra storage space, our priority was to make sure that we were as close to our city centre operations as we could be.
“Belfast city centre has been home to us since 1867 and we continue to produce many of our products here. Having a new warehouse nearby was essential.
“Titanic Quarter’s Channel Commercial Park offered us the size and scale of storage space we need as we grow.”
The Titanic Quarter attracts a diverse range of businesses keen to base and expand their operations.
James Eyre, commercial director at the Titanic Quarter, said: “Neill’s Flour is a fantastic addition to Channel Commercial Park and we are delighted to support the company’s expansion.
“Having one of the leading local food production companies secure space with us demonstrates the versatility of the offering we have.
“The high quality of the units and the strategic location, which is so close to Neill’s Flour’s long-established mill in the city centre, has proven to be of great appeal as the business grows.”
Commercial property agents Lisney and CBRE have been jointly appointed by Titanic Quarter to market Channel Commercial Park. Andrew Gawley, associate director at Lisney Belfast, said: “We’re excited to add Neill’s Flour to the roster at the park.
“We’re not surprised at the growing number of high-profile occupiers making Channel Commercial Park their home.
“The scale and convenience of the park makes it very attractive to a wide range of potential occupiers and the units have a huge appeal to a host of different industries, from warehousing to manufacturing and from logistics to film and TV production.
“Presently we’ve a limited number of units available, so we would urge those interested to make enquires as soon as possible to avoid disappointment.”
Belfast’s Titanic Quarter is one of Europe’s largest urban-waterfront regeneration projects.